Hospice West Auckland offers the traditional healing modality of Rongoā Māori.
We are excited to have developed, in partnership with CHT St Margarets, a Rongoā garden at Hospice House for our patients, whānau and the wider West Auckland community. The garden includes a wide range of New Zealand native flora, both shrubs and trees, and each plant will be identified with its Māori name, botanical name and a description of its healing uses.
We welcome you to be a part of this special place. Get in touch with us to learn more:
Thank you to all of our generous sponsors and supporters: Rongoa Landscapes Ltd, Davis Funerals, Daltons Landscape Supplies Westgate, Awa Nurseries, Central Landscape Supplies Swanson, Gordons Nurseries, Ecomatters Environmental Trust, Datacable, Living Herbs Ltd, Henderson Rotary Club, BNI Parnell and University of Auckland.
Rongoā Māori emphasises the connection between people and nature. Practitioners believe: “When you go into the bush, the mauri (life force) of the bush, the mauri of Papatūānuku, will heal us, if we just sit and be.” We have created a space where people from all walks of life can come to rest and reflect amongst familiar and comforting New Zealand native bush. It is a welcoming space to reconnect with Papatūānuku and feel culturally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally strengthened, in accordance with the Te Whare Tapa Whā model of wellbeing.
The Rongoā garden’s fresh plants provide the opportunity for members of our community to learn about traditional healing plants. Community workshops will be offered by our Hospice Rongoā practitioner to the wider community to learn more about this healing modality and how to make Rongoā Rākau, healing plant remedies.
During Matariki 2023 we performed a Turning The Soil ceremony to bless the site and mark the commencement of our Rongoā garden project. The soil we turned was placed in a kete and kept safe until the official opening of the Rongoā garden in 2024, when it was returned to the garden. Returning the soil is a sign of completion, the final step in the māra, and formed part of the final blessing.
The kete was displayed in the Hospice House entrance.
In April 2024, work officially began on preparing the existing garden area for creating our Rongoā Garden. The team from Rongoā Landscapes Ltd led the development, which included demolition of the pergola, and removing the hedging and other foliage, and bricks. We have carefully preserved the bricks that were donated by whānau in remembrance of loved ones so they can be incorporated at a later stage.
The Rongoā Landscapes Ltd team then laid soil to prepare the area for planting.
The Hospice West Auckland team, together with the kind help from volunteers from the University of Auckland, BNI Parnell, CHT St Margarets, Henderson Rotary Club and Davis Funerals, planted more than 400 native plants.
After more than a year in planning and development, the Rongoā Garden was officially opened to the public during the Matariki period on Wednesday 3rd July 2024.
It is now open to the public at Hospice House, 52 Beach Road, Te Atatū Peninsula.
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